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Nearly 20% of the global population lives in regions facing water scarcity, and by 2050, water demand is projected to rise by 30% due to climate change, with many EU areas heavily impacted. Desalination presents a key solution, but smarter, more efficient technologies are urgently needed to overcome the limitations of traditional desalination plants, including reactive maintenance, high costs, and energy inefficiency.
Adopting new technologies, like SWICSSY, is a must in order to revolutionize how desalination plants operate.
WHAT IS SWICSSY?
Advanced submerged wireless conductivity sensor system;
Designed to revolutionize reverse osmosis (RO) membrane preventive maintenance;
Provides measuring, reporting, and visualizing the performance of RO membranes within pressure vessels.
Here’s how you can optimize your desalination plant using SWICSSY and stay ahead in the industry.
THE HIDDEN COSTS OF REACTIVE MAINTAINANCE
Reactive maintenance, where issues are addressed only after they cause significant problems, is a prevalent challenge in the desalination industry. Unplanned shutdowns due to equipment failure can lead to substantial financial losses. For large desalination plants in the EU, downtime costs can range from $75,000 to $150,000 per day. The situation is worsened by the high capital expenditure involved in constructing these plants, which ranges from $1,000 to $2,500 per cubic meter of daily water production capacity. As a consequence, the high cost is keeping the number of desalination plants too low.
THE BURDEN OF HIGH MAINTENANCE COSTS
Not only unplanned, but also planned maintenance activities often require shutting down the plant, leading to a temporary stop in water production. These shutdowns not only provoke direct costs but also disrupt the overall operational flow, further escalating expenses. Any disruption in production can significantly affect profitability, especially when considering the energy costs, which are the second largest operating expense after labor. This is why real-time monitoring water quality is critical to ensuring the effectiveness of desalination processes. Conductivity measurements are a key indicator of the purity of the water produced by reverse osmosis (RO) systems. Elevated conductivity levels signal the presence of dissolved ions or impurities, which can compromise water quality and indicate potential membrane issues.
PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE AND PERFORMANCE VISIBILITY
SWICSSY offers a groundbreaking approach to desalination plant management through predictive maintenance and RO membrane (thus the whole pressure vessel) performance visibility. By offering real-time data monitoring, SWICSSY allows plant operators to identify and address membrane issues before they lead to operational disruptions.
Operators gain detailed insights into the performance of specific Reverse Osmosis (RO) membranes. This visibility enables targeted maintenance, where only the faulty membranes are replaced, rather than preventively replacing all membranes in faulty PV or setup (conducting a blanket replacement). This not only reduces material costs but also minimizes human resource allocation for maintenance tasks. The ability to plan maintenance activities effectively leads to a more sustainable operation with fewer resource requirements, reducing the need for large-scale and time-consuming repairs.
REDUCING ENERGY COSTS
Energy consumption is one of the most significant concerns in desalination operations, particularly during plant restarts, which consume large amounts of energy. SWICSSY's conductivity monitoring are an effective tool to detect a faulty membrane, which ensures that plant restarts are minimized by identifying potential issues before they cause shutdowns.
Additionally, SWICSSY consumes minimal energy, further contributing to the plant's overall efficiency and sustainability.
In a world where water scarcity is becoming an increasingly pressing issue, the efficiency of desalination plants is a necessity. SWICSSY represents the future of desalination, offering a smarter, more efficient way to manage plant operations suitable for the needs of the 21st century. By embracing predictive maintenance and enhancing performance visibility, SWICSSY not only cuts costs but also contributes to a more sustainable and reliable water supply.
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